Hello, sweet friends. Somehow I’ve remembered it’s Sunday after a long stretch of having lost all sense of time. This morning I finished illustrating 40 Days & 40 Nights of Fiction, my Lenten practice this year, which… obviously failed to exclude Sundays. My Lenten practice has concluded a week ahead of schedule, but I’m just going to give myself a pass on this one. It seems we’re all in a foggy time warp these days and that’s human and totally ok. Here’s a humble handful of the things making me feel more ok this past week:
Staying In with Emily & Kumail is a podcast I immediately imprinted on. I already loved this couple from afar (thanks to the wonderful wonderful movie about their real life love story, The Big Sick), but this is icing on the cake. They’re so relatable and understanding talking about life in quarantine in a way that feels so fresh. I smile every time I listen, and I want to have a dinner party with them when this is all over.
Reading or watching anything lately seems like a hurdle I just can’t jump. A friend recommended the delightfully frothy Home Again, which had was overflowing with all the Nancy Meyers comfort I didn’t know I needed. It made me laugh out loud, no small feat these days, and I was very thankful.
Thanks to the ‘What’s Making Us Happy’ segment on a longtime NPR favorite, Pop Culture Happy Hour, I was introduced to "Valley Winter Song" by Fountains of Wayne (singer-songwriter Adam Schlesinger recently died of Coronavirus). It’s a lovely tune to have on repeat.
In an era where it seems like nothing can surprise me, this surprised me. I started listening to Jessica Simpson’s memoir Open Book after hearing a string of people singing its praises and, you know what? I’m completely engrossed! Who knew!
A beautiful soul I know in London, Kate, makes up half the duo that is Gatherfold. Lately, my daily excitement has been voting on one of two ingredients that will determine the recipe she and her husband Eliot make. They document and walk you through the entire thing on their Instagram stories, and I will be returning to their stories archives again and again to make them. I can’t wait to try their Falafel, Roasted Cauliflower And Apple Salad with Mint and Dill Mustard, and Zucchini with Spinach, Mint, and Hazelnut Pesto… just to name a few! Seriously my favorite thing on Instagram.
It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Bon Appétit. Thanks to their Foodcast, I have a false sense that I’m friends with everyone on staff. Everyone! Perhaps that was the reason I got so emotional reading the Adam Rapaport’s We’re Glad To Keep You Company, but really… it comes from such a heartfelt place.
Speaking of my friends at Bon Appétit, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Ask Andy: How Do I Learn to Live Alone in the Middle of a Pandemic? You’re so wise, Andy! This is part of the new month-long series The Healthyish Guide to Living Alone. I’m so here for it.
In Andy’s words… be good to yourself.
xoxo,
Sally